Twice Named Walker County
by Robin Montgomery
Walker County has the distinction among counties spun off of Washington Municipality of being named twice, but for different Walkers. The first to have the honor was Robert J. Walker of Mississippi who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas to the Union. As he later was a Unionist during the Civil War or War Between the States, in 1863 the state legislature changed the honoree to Samuel H. Walker.
Samuel Walker had a colorful career as a Texas Ranger featuring battles with hostile Indians. Then he played a key role in 1842 helping Texas repel the Mexican General, Adrian Woll’s, invasion of the state. As the war spread, he was one of the lucky few who survived the infamous Black Bean Episode: captured in Mexico, those who drew a black bean received a sentence of death by a firing squad; those who drew a white bean were saved. Though Samuel H. Walker managed to outmaneuver death in Mexico in the early eighteen forties, he was not so fortunate a few years later. After performing heroically for General Zachary Taylor’s forces in the US Mexican War, Samuel Hamilton Walked died in battle in Mexico.
Walker County has the distinction among counties spun off of Washington Municipality of being named twice, but for different Walkers. The first to have the honor was Robert J. Walker of Mississippi who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas to the Union. As he later was a Unionist during the Civil War or War Between the States, in 1863 the state legislature changed the honoree to Samuel H. Walker.
Samuel Walker had a colorful career as a Texas Ranger featuring battles with hostile Indians. Then he played a key role in 1842 helping Texas repel the Mexican General, Adrian Woll’s, invasion of the state. As the war spread, he was one of the lucky few who survived the infamous Black Bean Episode: captured in Mexico, those who drew a black bean received a sentence of death by a firing squad; those who drew a white bean were saved. Though Samuel H. Walker managed to outmaneuver death in Mexico in the early eighteen forties, he was not so fortunate a few years later. After performing heroically for General Zachary Taylor’s forces in the US Mexican War, Samuel Hamilton Walked died in battle in Mexico.